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Grilled Pesto Shrimp

Each night throughout the week I like to make a dish that is a 'favorite' for at least one of the kids. My little man has developed quite a liking for seafood and I already had shrimp on hand so I made him Grilled Pesto Shrimp.

It really can't get any easier to make this dish.

Easy Kid-Friendly Baked Flounder Recipe

You have no idea how many times I have tried and failed to add breadcrumbs to fish to make homemade fish sticks or crumbed fish fillets.  My kids love fish sticks and crumbed fish fillets, but I've always wanted to make a healther version at home that doesn't contain any added extras that we just don't need.

I finally have a winner, for two out of three kids at least ... I think the third child would love it if he didn't devour the waffle fries on the side of his plate first and then claim to be too full to eat the fish.

Note: I made 10 of these - they were not large flounder fillets so I made one for each of the little ones, two for the rest of us and an extra two just in case the kids wanted more.

Fire-Roasted Potatoes and a Potato Bar

When I meal plan each week I always try to take into account food items that can be used over two meals, especially with items that you know there will be leftovers of, or dishes that I can cook double the amount and use for a different meal.

One night last week I made homemade chili with cornbread for dinner.  The following night, we lit the firepit outside and once the coals were hot, I fire-roasted potatoes, that we could use the leftover chili on to create a completely different dish, along with a variety of other toppings.

To prepare the potatoes:

1. Wash the potatoes and pat dry with a clean towel
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork
3. Brush potatoes with melted butter
4. Wrap in aluminum foil

Fire-roasting the potatoes:

1. Light a firepit or fireplace until coals are hot
2. Place each aluminum foil wrapped potato under the coals
3. Cook for approximately 1 hour.  Remove a potato carefully using tongs from the coals after about 45 minutes to ensure they are cooking through, you can check them by piercing with a skewer or roasting fork (you will be able to feel if they are still hard inside or whether they are becoming soft). 

Toppings:

I placed out an assortment of toppings including:

1. Leftover chili (from dinner the evening before)
2. Bacon (which I had pre-cooked in the oven on a cookie tray)
3. Baked beans (my favorite are Heinz Baked Beans which are generally available at World Market or Fresh & Easy)
4. Mushrooms
5. Shredded mild cheddar cheese
6. Sour cream
7. Chives and green onions

Here are some more topping ideas too:

1. Fresh tomatoes (chopped)
2. Spinach
3. Slices of butter
4. Black beans
5. Corn kernels
6. Ham
7. Grilled sausage slices
8. Coleslaw
9. Cream cheese
10. Leftovers - such as casseroles, bolognese sauce, meatballs

What toppings do you love on baked or fire-roasted potatoes?

 

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Fresh & Easy Holiday Recipes

Last week I attended a Fresh & Easy Holiday Party at Sur La Table. 

We enjoyed delicious appetizers and wine (from Fresh & Easy of course), had cooking lessons with Chef Cynthia, ate a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, made our way through dessert, then rolled ourselves home.

Seriously I ate so much I don't think I ate again until the afternoon the next day. It was all so yummy, and I cannot wait to try out a few new dishes next week for Thanksgiving.

Don't these appetizers look delicious. 

After enjoying our appetizers and listening to an introduction from Chef Cynthia she showed us how to make the perfect roast turkey gravy. She had cooked the turkey and roast vegetables before we had arrived to make things run a bit quicker.

Here's the recipe:

Roast Turkey Gravy

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients: 

• 6 cups pan juices from turkey (or low sodium chicken stock)
• 1/3 cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. Remove turkey from roasting pan and pour juices through a fine mesh into a bowl. If liquids don’t measure 6 cups, supplement with chicken stock.
2. Let the juices sit in the bowl until the fat rises to the top. Spoon out the fat and discard.
3. Using two burners on medium-high heat, place roasting pan on the stove top.  Carefully pour 1 ½ cups of juices into the roasting pan. As soon as juices come to a boil, scrape the brown bits with a wooden spoon until clean of any caramelized bits.
4. In a jar, combine 1 cup of juices with flour. Shake vigorously until fully combined.  This is called a slurry.
5. Pour slurry into the roasting pan and stir constantly until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
6. Add remaining 3 ½ cups of juices into roasting pan and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until thickened. Remember, gravy will thicken even more once cooled.
7. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Note: For smoother gravy, strain before serving.

Then Cynthia showed us how to make a delicious (seriously this really was amazing) cauliflower gratin.

Here's the recipe:

Cauliflower Gratin

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
• 5 oz. diced pancetta
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pancetta until browned and crispy. Drain and pat dry.
3. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, heavy cream, flour, and ¾ cup grated Gruyere and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
4. Transfer mixture to a 2 quart baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup grated Gruyere and breadcrumbs.
6. Carefully remove baking dish from oven and sprinkle breadcrumb mix over cauliflower. Dot with butter and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

While she was showing us how to do this we were set up at tables in pairs making a variety of salads. Nicole and I paired up and made a roasted butternut squash salad with pumpkin vinaigrette dressing.

Of course I have the recipe for that too.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Pumpkin Vinaigrette Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Salad

• 16 oz. package fresh&easy butternut squash, cubed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 6 oz. bag romaine and radicchio salad
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas
• ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a lined baking sheet, toss butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, until brown. Remove from oven; allow to cool.
3. In a jar, add pumpkin seed oil, white wine vinegar, orange juice, Dijon mustard, shallots, honey, salt and pepper. Seal jar with a tightly fitting lid and shake until all ingredients are combined.
4. In a large bowl, place romaine and radicchio salad, butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, pepitas and goat cheese.
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly.

We then enjoyed a big Thanksgiving dinner together.

After dinner it was time for dessert, of course. Cynthia had pre-made éclairs but we made the pastry cream filling and chocolate ganache for them. You have no idea how happy I am that I now know how to make delicious éclairs at home. I grew up eating éclairs in Australia, it was one of the staple items I would purchase when I went to bakeries.

Of course I have the recipe for these to share as well.

Pate a Choux

Makes 24 éclairs

Ingredients:

• ½  cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½  teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 ¼  cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F
2. Place butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Immediately remove from heat, add flour and quickly stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Place back over medium heat and continue stirring until the mixture pulls away from sides; approximately 3 minutes.
4. Transfer dough to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute until dough starts to cool. Raise speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger.
5. Add dough to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Pipe dough into 3-inch oblong shapes, making sure to leave space between each éclair.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 F and bake for another 25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Fill éclairs while still warm. This allows for easier piping.

Pastry Cream

Makes 2 Cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup sugar, separated
• ½  vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 4 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cooking Directions:

1. Place milk, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over high heat; cook until it comes to a simmer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks with remaining ¼ cup sugar and cornstarch until thickened.
3. While whisking constantly, slowly pour heated-milk mixture in a thin stream into egg-yolk mixture. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer to a large bowl over an ice bath and whisk in butter until melted. Once pastry cream slightly cools, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until completely cooled.
5. To fill éclairs, add pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a coupler and filling tip. Insert tip into one side of the éclair squeezing pastry cream slowly to fill. Remove tip and insert into the opposite side of éclair and repeat. Do not apply too much pressure as it will rupture the éclair.

Chocolate Ganache

Makes 1 Cup

Ingredients:

• ½  cup heavy cream
• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Cooking Directions:

1. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Place chocolate in a bowl and pour hot cream on top. Slowly whisk until smooth and all chocolate has melted.

Let cool slightly and drizzle over éclairs.

You didn't think we just ate éclairs for dessert do you?

Fresh & Easy make holidays easy. You can order your Thanksgiving dinner on-line by November 18th and pick-up in store between November 20-22nd. They have a great selection of dishes you can order from a turkey, ham, or beef dinner to side dishes including mashed potatoes, squash risotto, vegetable medley, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Plus you get a free 11" Fresh & Easy pumpkin pie with every order.

Follow Fresh & Easy on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for more great Holiday ideas.

Disclosure:  The recipes above were provided by Fresh & Easy. We were treated to a complimentary cooking class at Sur La Table and received a big bag of Fresh & Easy goodies to bring home to help us prepare our own Thanksgiving dinners.

Happy World Pasta Day

In honor of such a great day I give you

Barilla Lemon Spaghetti

Recipe from: Barilla - The Modern Family Pasta Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Barilla Spaghetti
• 2 fresh lemons
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Preparation:

Grate lemon peels and place lemon zest in a small bowl. Juice the lemons into a separate small bowl. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and blend. Set the lemon sauce aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the spaghetti to the lemon sauce, and toss with the basil and lemon zest. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to bowls and serve.

This meal was served with Pear Parmigiano Reggiano Salad and Focaccia with dipping oils for a family dinner night. I loved that the salad also used lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, so it was the perfect accompaniment for the pasta.

We eat dinner together as a family at least five nights a week, with at least two of those nights being a pasta night, which the twins' absolutely love seeing as pasta is one of their favorite foods. One of the best parts of having pasta nights in our house is that I always make extra to give to the kids in a thermos the following day for their school lunch. 

Did you know that:

• 88% of parents are reliant upon multi-tasking each day and more than half (58%) say their life is more hectic now, than a year ago.
• Pasta is recognized by parents and non-parents as a tasty (88%) and easy (87%) meal option and one that can be prepared using on-hand ingredients from a pantry (82%).
• Other benefits of pasta that help alleviate chaotic schedules include that it is versatile (52%), a quick go-to meal (51%) and allows for multitasking while it’s cooking (44%)
• Leading contributors to a hectic lifestyle, making meal-planning and preparation a challenge are: work, household chores, errands, kids’ after school activities, and kids’ homework

(statistics and information provided by Barilla)

 

Stay up to date with all things pasta by liking Barilla on Facebook and following Barilla on Twitter.

On World Pasta Day (October 25) visit Barilla on Facebook to 'Share a Hug' to fight hunger and help Barilla reach their ultimate goal of donating 200,000 meals.  For simply 'sharing a hug' with a click of a button, the first 25,000 people will receive a product coupon and everyone gets a copy of The Modern Family Pasta Cookbook download. 

 

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Barilla. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating. #BarillaWPD

Vegetable Lo Mein

In an attempt to save a little money I'm trying to cut back on the amount of take-out we purchase.   One of the kids favorites is orange chicken, rice, and chow mein from Panda Express.

So, I decided to make a similar dish at home instead.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg lo mein egg noodles
• 2 cups snow peas
• 3 small carrots - sliced in half, then into thin strips
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 tbs sesame oil (+ a little extra)
• 2 tsp ginger - freshly grated
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3-4 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs sherry cooking wine
• salt & pepper
• 3 green onions - chopped
• red pepper flakes

Add noodles to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.  Drain, and then rinse the noodles in cold water, toss a little sesame oil on and gently combine to prevent the noodles from sticking while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Put the rest of the sesame oil in a wok and heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 10 seconds.  Add the snow peas, and carrot, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until softened but still a little crunchy.  Add the following ingredients (in order)- bean sprouts, sherry cooking wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper, noodles.  Stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Once in a serving dish, top with green onions.  Serve red pepper flakes on the side, for those who like a little more kick (we love it, but not the kids).

Note:  In case you are wondering how I made the orange chicken: I grilled chicken breasts, cut them into cubes, and tossed them in a pan with a bottle of La Choy Orange Ginger Sauce and Marinade.  It's my kids favorite.  I've made this chicken for them a number of times before, but this was the first time I'd added the lo mein as a side too.

The best part is we had enough for leftovers tomorrow for the kids if they want to take the noodles, chicken or rice in a thermos to school for lunch, and for my husband to take to work.